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San Manuel Yamaha Supercross Recap & Results – Seattle

The 2011 AMA Supercross series is going down to the wire in what many are describing as the best championship in recent memory. San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart won his second Main Event in succession last Saturday at a cold and damp Qwest Field in Seattle in front of more than 52,000 spectators. The former champion’s recent spurt of good form means that four riders are split by just nine points at the top of the standings with just two rounds from the seventeen remaining.

Stewart controlled the vast majority of proceedings on a rough and tricky track after overtaking holeshotter Ivan Tedesco and also Australian Chad Reed in the opening exchanges. The success gave the Floridian his 60th podium finish from 76 starts in the category, increased his career win tally to 42 and bumped Yamaha’s up to 166. Stewart lapped more than half the field to give Yamaha their first win in Seattle this century.

“It was coming easy for me. I had some good lines through the whoops and once I got a lead, you know, I just kind of backed it down and just kept the gap like it was,” he commented. “I felt good all day. The bike was working fantastic, really good. I knew the ruts…you know, the track was going to get technical. I was trying to just play it smart and I was able to get a good lead and make it happen after that.”

Stewart’s team-mate Kyle Regal completed a decent weekend for the crew by taking his best finish of the season so far with 7th position. Davi Millsaps notched another top ten by crossing the line in 8th and Tommy Hahn was the fourth YZ450F rider in the first half of the leader-board in securing 9th.

Stewart’s unbeatable speed has come at a crucial time with a maximum of 50 points still left up for grabs and he lies fourth in the table behind Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey and Reed, nine points adrift of first place. Behind the headline-grabbing scrap for the title Millsaps and Justin Brayton currently hold 8th and 9th for Yamaha.

For the first time this year the AMA series (also an FIM World Championship) will take a break next week before the first of two tense back-to-back meetings at Salt Lake City and then Las Vegas.